A Collection of Shenanigans
by LongLiveTheElvenQueen
Summary: Just a bunch of one-shots depicting life at Camp Half-Blood/Camp Jupiter. The first few won't be as adventurous since they're introducing my OCs, but after that will be a bunch of little quests and stories.
1. Change is a Good Thing (Part One)

Change is a Good Thing (Part One)

 _Virginia_

Virginia walked along the cobblestone street, a strawberry ice cream in her hand. It hadn't been long since Gaea had been defeated, and life at Camp Jupiter was on its way to getting back to normal. For the most part. The various stores and restaurants had reopened, campers were training in the arenas, and the mess halls were packed with hungry teens. Still, something was different. Virginia could sense it, and she knew everyone else could too.

Reyna had tried her best to act like everything was back to normal, but Virginia doubted it ever would be. Everyone had lost friends, some even family, in the war and it seemed as if everyone was fighting so hard to get back to normal that they were forgetting what had happened.

Those few days camped outside Camp Half-Blood had been nerve-wracking. Virginia remembered the catapults and the fire, but most vividly of all- the monsters. She couldn't believe it when Octavian had brought them in, what had he been thinking? Every night, Virginia prayed they wouldn't turn on the Legion, but inevitably, they had.

At least she didn't have to worry about Octavian anymore. As much as she hated to admit it, she would be eternally grateful to the Greeks for getting rid of him. Maybe they had their uses after all. Still, Virginia preferred the Legion to the rag-tag army of Camp Half-Blood.

She found a table and sat down, still wrapped up in her musings. She looked up to find Sabrina Everette, her best friend, seated in front of her.

"How was fencing?" she asked. Unlike Virginia, who was decidedly uncoordinated and preferred magic, Sabrina was a natural at weapons of pretty much any kind, which was rather surprising for a daughter of Ceres. Although, she usually preferred her double daggers to a bulky sword.

"I got stabbed," Sabrina answered with a groan.

"That sucks," Virginia said. "Do you need to go see the medics?"

"Nah, I'll be fine. Oh, and by the way," Sabrina stood up from her chair, "Reyna wants to see us. Something about a new job."

"Okay…" There had been lots of "new jobs" since that Valdez kid had destroyed the camp. Most of them included fixing up the buildings. Virginia herself had been using her magic to lift boulders from the road and construct new buildings for weeks now. All the same, something in Sabrina's tone led her to believe that this "new job" would be different.

They reached the principia, and were immediately met by Reyna and her two dogs, newly repaired since the war. Reyna wore her standard austere look that made Virginia both admire her and maybe even fear her a bit.

Reyna cut right to the chase, "Chiron from Camp Half-Blood and I have been talking." She paused briefly, probably feeling the apprehension that had settled in the room. Virginia remembered her father using those exact words after he had been discussing a problem in the household with her older brother.

"We have decided to start a new program," Reyna continued. "An exchange program where Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood exchange students for a few months out of the summer. For now, we are going to start with two students, but we hope to eventually move onto greater numbers. The goal of this program is to establish more flexible relations between the two camps should another danger present itself." Reyna uttered the word "danger" carefully, as if she didn't want to tempt the Fates into waking up new monsters. Virginia didn't blame her.

"And...you want us to be the exchange students?" Sabrina sounded slightly incredulous.

"Yes," Reyna said, "Normally, I would have sent someone of higher rank-" Virginia tried not to bristle at that, it was a perfectly logical point, "-but our centurions are needed to bring the Legion back to its original routine and order."

"So, you're sending people who aren't as important or noticeable?" Virginia had learned to master the art of keeping her tone light and innocent while simultaneously implying something much darker.

"Essentially," Reyna clearly didn't like admitting what she was doing, and Virginia didn't like admitting that Reyna was right. The camp did need its routine back, but at the same time it also needed better relations with Camp Half-Blood. This was the best way to get both.

Virginia glanced over at Sabrina, trying to figure out whether she was going to do it not.

"We'll think about it," Virginia said finally, reluctant to give a definite answer.

Reyna seemed to accept that and she nodded, "I need to know your decision by tomorrow." She sat down behind her desk, a clear dismissal.

Sabrina waited until they were clear of the principia before exploding, "How does she expect us to just pack up our bags and go to Camp Half-Blood for a month? To stay with those Greeks? I mean, Reyna said it herself, we need routine, not something completely foreign to us."

Virginia was inclined to agree with her, but she couldn't help seeing the fruits of going, "True, but the camps are evolving. We can't just ignore each other's existence anymore. We need to know the campers on both sides, in case we end up fighting side-by-side again. We need collaboration, and I think this is the best way to get it."

Sabrina sighed, "Fine. Let's do it. But I'm blaming you if anything bad happens to us."

 _Sabrina_

Reyna looked decidedly relieved when Virginia told her they would go to Camp Half-Blood with the exchange program. Sabrina still didn't like the idea of going to a strange new camp, but at least Virginia would be going with her.

Reyna told them they would be leaving for Camp Half-Blood in three days and would be staying there for two months. Sabrina had no idea what they were going to encounter there, what kind of tasks they would be facing, or what kind of training they would be going through. She assumed there would be training; the Greeks couldn't be that haphazard, could they?

For the next few days, Sabrina managed to shove Camp Half-Blood out of her mind, but before she knew it, it was time to leave for Long Island. She had briefly wondered what sort of transportation they would be using to get there, but that question was quickly answered by the descent of a large chariot pulled by two pegasi.

Sabrina recognized her former praetor, Jason Grace, as he climbed out, and she assumed the dark-haired girl behind him was Piper McLean. Two other campers piled out behind them: a tall, broad-shouldered girl and a smaller, much more energetic boy that looked like her younger brother. Reyna came out to greet them, a friendly hug for Piper and a more awkward (but no less friendly) hug for Jason. Reyna then turned to the brother and sister, shaking the girl's hand and smiling warmly at the kid. Sabrina was surprised, she didn't think Reyna smiled at anyone.

While Reyna was speaking with the older sister, Jason caught sight of Sabrina and Virginia.

"Hey Virginia, Sabrina," he said, grinning at both of them, "Are you two going over to Camp Half-Blood?"

"Yeah," Virginia answered, "For the exchange program Reyna and Chiron have set up."

Jason noticed their edgy demeanor and his grin grew wider, "Camp Half-Blood's not that bad," he said, "It's very similar to the Legion, but a lot less restricting."

Virginia nodded, "Is there anything we should know before we get there?"

Jason thought for a moment, "Try to stay away from the Ares Cabin for your first few days and don't ever challenge anyone from Apollo's Cabin to a basketball game."

Sabrina raised her eyebrows at the last statement, but didn't say anything.

"You'll have fun at Camp Half-Blood," Jason said, turning to leave, "Don't worry."

….

The ride to Camp Half-Blood was long and awkward, though not as long as it would have been if they had taken mortal transport. Their chariot driver, Butch, was practically silent, and Virginia and Sabrina were too anxious to talk much.

"So…" Virginia began awkwardly, "How long have you been at Camp Half-Blood?"

"A few years," Butch grunted.

"Cool...Who's your godly parent?"

"Iris."

"Oh," Virginia had no idea what to say to that and Sabrina had to fight back laughter. Butch looked far too muscular and bulky to be a son of the hippie rainbow goddess, but as she looked closer she could see a tattoo of a rainbow on his bicep.

Virginia seemed to give up talking to Butch after that, and they flew the rest of the way in silence. Sabrina brought her daggers out of her bag, flipping them in her hand from handle to blade and back again. Virginia had her hand outside the chariot, golden sparks flying from her fingertips. Sabrina used to think that children of Trivia had it easy. They didn't need to learn how to use a weapon, all they needed was magic. She soon found out that magic was just as difficult to master as any weapon, and equally tiring if you weren't used to it.

Sabrina glanced down at her own hand. She supposed if she really tried she could turn her dagger (or someone else's) into a flower, but what would be the point? Her magic wasn't powerful enough to make much of a difference and Sabrina soon went back to flipping it back and forth.

They finally touched down on the beach of Camp Half-Blood. Sabrina had barely gotten out of the chariot when a short girl with blonde pigtail braids came running up to them excitedly.

"Hey guys, welcome to Camp Half-Blood! Over there you'll find the strawberry fields, and there's the-"

"Brigid!" Two more girls ran up. They were both taller than Brigid, and the one who had called out her name had a pixie cut with the ends dyed a dark blue. "What have we told you about talking to random people?"

The other girl beside her continued, "It's dangerous! They could be monsters in disguise or something, you don't know!" She played with her tight blonde curls, shifting her weight from one side to the other.

Brigid crossed her arms stubbornly, "Actually, if they were monsters, they wouldn't have been able to get through the barrier surrounding the camp."

The girl with blue hair rolled her eyes, "The point is: we don't know who they are. Monsters aren't our only enemies, you know."

"You know what-"

Just then, a man in a wheelchair came up behind them. "Callie, Phoebe, Brigid; you can welcome our guests later. For now, let's try not to overwhelm them too much."

Brigid rolled her eyes at what Sabrina assumed were her two friends and followed them to the ampitheatre.

Sabrina had seen Chiron before, after the battle, but it had been from a distance. Up close, he seemed much older, although there were no tell-tale wrinkles on his face.

"Welcome," he smiled warmly at Sabrina and Virginia from his wheelchair, but then turned to Butch. "Thank you for driving everyone, it saved us quite a bit of time."

Butch nodded and shambled off, unhooking the pegasi from the chariot and bringing them with him.

Chiron turned his attention back to the girls, "I suppose we should see to sleeping arrangements first. You have both been claimed by your godly parent?"

They nodded.

"Trivia," said Virgina.

"Ceres."

"Good," he said. "That makes things much easier. You'll be given a tour of the camp by your cabin's counselors. Virginia, your counselor will be Lou Ellen Blackstone from Cabin Twenty and Sabrina, your counselor will be Miranda Gardiner from Cabin Four. I hope to see you both at the Mess Hall tonight for dinner."

He went off in his wheelchair and Sabrina and Virginia glanced at each other, unsure of what to do next. They didn't have to wait long as soon two girls came jogging up to them, both in Camp Half-Blood t-shirts.

"So, which one of you is Virginia?" The one with dark hair asked.

"I am," Virginia replied.

"Awesome. I'm Lou Ellen, your counselor for the Hecate Cabin." She led Virginia over to the cabins and Virginia waved back at Sabrina, grinning eagerly.

"I'm Miranda," the girl introduced herself.

"Sabrina."

"Nice to meet you. I guess we'll just start the tour here. This is the fireworks beach and up there is the climbing wall." Sabrina raised her eyebrows as she watched the rock begin to smoke profusely. Miranda caught her look and grinned, "Yeah, if you don't get to the top fast enough, lava will come pouring down on you along with a few large boulders. Not fun." She sounded as if she had been caught in that position one too many times.

"Anyway, that's the mess hall, where we eat, and that's the amphitheater." She pointed to her left where the three girls from before were sitting. The blonde one with curls was playing guitar and singing with the one with the pixie cut. The shorter one appeared to be their audience.

Sabrina pointed to the shorter one, "She came up and tried to give Virginia and I a tour before we even got out of the chariot."

Miranda laughed, "Yeah, that's Brigid for you. She's pretty popular around the camp-knows almost everyone and takes pride in it. Just don't get on her bad side," she added meaningfully.

"Phoebe's pretty well-known too," she nodded towards the girl with the guitar, "but Callie pretty much sticks to herself. I don't think I've ever seen her with anyone that wasn't that group. You friend will probably meet her though," Miranda added as an afterthought, "since they're both daughters of Hecate."

She continued with the tour, finally stopping by a lake with canoes moored on the shore.

"That's obviously the canoe lake," she pointed to her left. "And those are the bathrooms and the cabins. The cabins are arranged by godly parent and each one is assigned a counselor. I'm the counselor for Demeter's cabin, at least when our other counselor is away."

They walked up to the circle of cabins and Miranda opened the door to a light brown one with grass of the rooftop and plants arching up the sides. Inside, there was a soft grassy floor with a tree trunk directly in the middle, its branches making up the ceiling rafters. To Sabrina's left were bunk beds and chests for the camper's belongings, but to Sabrina's right was one of the nicest kitchens she had ever seen.

"Most of us really enjoy cooking," Miranda admitted, "The majority of our ingredients are freshly picked from outside. Or inside," she added as Sabrina's gaze swept across the copious amount of vines growing on the walls.

"So...how do you like it?"

Sabrina's gaze switched back to Miranda, "I think I'll like it here."

* * *

 **AN: Welcome to my second fanfiction! Special thanks to my friends who are both my editors and my characters in this set of short stories. I am not discontinuing my Marvel fanfic in case you were wondering; I have just had these characters in my head for a while and wanted to share them with the world.**

 **Please follow, favorite, and review! :)**


	2. Change is a Good Thing (Part Two)

_Virginia_

Lou Ellen had brought her everywhere, from the climbing wall to the Pegasus stables, and Virginia's legs _hurt._

"This is our cabin," Lou Ellen finally stopped in front of a stone cabin with runes etched onto it. She opened the door and it seemed to Virginia that she had entered a whole new world.

First, the interior seemed far more spacious than the exterior had alluded to. There were four separate rooms and each had built-in cushioned benches that were used as beds.

Lou Ellen glanced at Virginia and grinned, "I know it doesn't look like much now, but just watch." She snapped her fingers and the furniture in the room morphed into gym equipment. She did this twice more and the room changed into a military command center, and then a dining room.

"There are over a dozen pre-programmed settings for our rooms," Lou Ellen said, "But you can change it to pretty much anything you want." She brought Virginia to a narrow staircase that led up to a loft where there were two more beds. "This is going to be your room," she said. "There's only one other person here-her name is Callisto-but she's generally pretty quiet."

"Cool," Virginia sat down and dropped her backpack on the empty bed, looking around at the walls. They had been painted a shade of lavender and there were built-in bookshelves along one of the walls. Virginia glanced down at the floor and decided it looked like there were more books down there than there were on the shelves.

There were huge windows that brought in sunlight and cushioned window seats beneath them. The drawer under one of the window seats had strange labels that Virginia couldn't read. A keyboard sat in the corner.

While Virginia had been taking everything in, Lou Ellen had left the room to bring Callisto in to meet her.

"Do you like my piano?"

Virginia got the feeling this was a deciding question for their future friendship.

"I do," she answered, "but I don't play."

"That's okay," Callisto shrugged. "Do you sing?"

"A little."

"Nice. I have friend who also sings-and she plays guitar. Her name is Phoebe, you probably saw her when you came in. She's got pretty unmistakable blonde curly hair."

"I remember her," Virginia grinned at the memory of Phoebe and Callisto's argument with Brigid.

"Anyway," Callisto continued, "the two of us usually lead the sing-along at the campfire. You want to join us?"  
"Does that generally include singing in front of the whole camp?"

"Yeah," Callisto shrugged, "But we always sing together, so it's not that bad."

Virginia thought about it. Did she really want to sing in front of a camp of strangers? But, at the same time, maybe that was the best time to do it. It's not like she would be here long.

"Sure," Virginia said.

"Wonderful." Callisto groaned, "I guess that means I have to introduce you to people now. Come on," she pulled Virginia off the bed. "It's time for you to meet Brigid and Phoebe."

Callisto led Virginia to the arena where Brigid and Phoebe were training. Brigid was viciously attacking a punching bag while Phoebe shot arrows at a target.

"I don't see why I have to do this," Phoebe complained. "I have other skills, you know." She shot off another arrow and it hit the outer rim. "I'm not even all that good at archery."

"What are you going to do if we get into another war?" Brigid asked, hands on her hips, "Curse the gorgons into speaking in rhymes? Yes, that's very helpful."

"I can do more than just that!" Phoebe said defensively. "Besides, I'd rather stay in the sidelines."

Brigid threw her hands in the air, "That's what archery is! You shoot monsters-or people-from afar. I don't know what your problem is."

Phoebe angrily dropped her bow on the ground as she hit the outer rim again, "I give up! I must be the only child of Apollo who can't hit a bullseye."

Brigid rolled her eyes, picking up the fallen bow. "All you have to do is this.." her arrow hit the left side of the center circle. "See? It's not that hard."

"Yes it is!" Phoebe broke off as she caught sight of Virginia and Callisto standing in the entrance.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, all frustration forgotten, and ran up to hug a wary Callisto. "Callie! I'm so proud of you! You're making friends!"

"Yes, yes," Callie patted Phoebe's back uncomfortably and pulled away, rolling her eyes. "This is Virginia. She's in my cabin."

"Can she do magic?" Brigid asked, pushing past Phoebe.

Callie looked to Virginia to answer the question and Virginia responded by muttering something in Latin and outstretching her hand towards the archery target. An icicle shot from her palm, embedding itself dead-center.

"Sick," Brigid nodded at Virginia. "Nice job."

"Thanks."

"Now that we've established that Virginia can do magic, can we go ahead and get the introductions over with?" Callie asked impatiently.

"Sure," Brigid said, "I'm Brigid, daughter of Nemesis." Virginia looked at her. At first she was surprised-her appearance did not match her godly parent-but as Brigid met her gaze, she saw something dangerous glimmering beneath the surface.

"I'm Phoebe," Phoebe eagerly shook her hand, "daughter of Apollo."

"And apparently the only one who can't do archery," Brigid muttered under her breath. Callisto elbowed her to shut her up.

"I like music," Phoebe said, pointedly looking sideways at Brigid. "And for your information, I _can_ do archery, I'm just not perfect at it."

"You're a daughter of Apollo!" Brigid protested.

"And you're a daughter of Nemesis who refuses to curse. Same thing." Callie said.

"Cursing and revenge are two totally different things."

"They both have a negative connotation," Phoebe pointed out.

Virginia watched the exchange with interest, although feeling a little out-of-place.

"Look," Callie clapped her hands together in annoyance. "Can we just stop? Virginia probably thinks we hate each other right now."

"Let's bring her to meet the dryads," Phoebe suggested excitedly, "Juniper _loves_ new people."

"Umm...no. Let's not." Callie looked at Brigid for ideas.

"We could...go ask Chiron for a quest?"

"Brigid, no one in their right mind goes _looking_ for a quest." Callie seemed to be getting very frustrated with her friends.

"Fine. Why don't we go out onto the lake? That's always fun." Brigid looked inquiringly at Callie, who sighed.

"Sure, why not?"

Phoebe jumped in, "We can invite your friend too!" She looked at Virginia, "What was her name, again?"

"Sabrina. We can ask her on the way there, I think she's still at Cabin Four."

"Great," Phoebe said, rubbing her hands together. "Let's get on with it then!"

The four of them found Sabrina outside of Cabin Four growing flowers with Miranda Gardiner.

"Oh, hey Virginia," Sabrina greeted her, looking up from her flowers for a second before glancing back down.

"Callie, Phoebe, Brigid, and I are going down to the lake. Do you want to come?" Virginia gestured to each girl as she introduced them.

"Thanks, but I'm okay. I'm trying to learn as much as I can while I'm here." Sabrina made an entire row of flowers pop up in the pot, much to Miranda's delight.

"Excellent job, Sabrina," she praised her. "But I think that's enough for today, why don't you go with them? Get to know some of the other campers." She and Callisto exchanged glances.

"Alright." Sabrina dusted off her hands and walked up to Virginia and her new group of friends. Phoebe hugged her instantaneously, much to Sabrina's surprise.

"Great," Brigid said. "But we need to hurry, dinner starts at six."

She took the lead and they traipsed towards the lake. Once they were all standing on the pier, Brigid told Virginia and Sabrina they had to lean out across the water in order to see the nymphs.

Virginia looked at her suspiciously, "Aren't we already close enough to the water?"

"Yeah, I'm not really in the mood to fall off a pier today," Sabrina added.

"But we have to _properly_ show you the nymphs," Phoebe said innocently.

"Oh, alright," Virginia conceded against her better judgment. "But just for a few seconds."

"If she's doing it, I guess I'll do it too," Sabrina rolled her eyes and leaned over the pier alongside Virginia.

"I don't see any-"

"Now!" Virginia heard Brigid yell gleefully, and the next thing she knew, she was swimming in the lake.

Sputtering, Virginia and Sabrina surfaced, catching sight of the waving nymphs that were further out in the lake.

"What was that for?" Virginia yelled up at them.

"Camp initiation. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood!" Phoebe called back to her.

"You're one of us now," Callie added.

Brigid was laughing too hard to say anything.


	3. We Don't Lose (Part One)

_Phoebe_

Phoebe walked up to the fire, sliding a piece of her hotdog into the flames.

 _Ummm, hey Dad. Hope banishment is going okay. Percy told me you're on a pretty cool island, so that's neat. I made some new friends. They're from the Roman camp we just found out existed. Anyway, hope you get to go back to Olympus soon._

She sighed, knowing how lame she probably sounded to Apollo. But then she shrugged, it wasn't like he'd ever bothered talking to her. At least she was trying to form some sort of relationship, or as much of a relationship you can have with a god. Feeling better, she sat down beside Kayla Knowles and Austin Lake at the Apollo table.

She caught sight of Virginia and Callie at the Hecate table. In just a week they had become close friends, it was hard to find one without the other. Now, they sounded like they were attempting to turn water into wine, but from Callie's frustrated glances, Phoebe guessed it wasn't going too well.

Glancing over to where Sabrina was sitting, Phoebe watched her turn her plastic silverware into thorny flowers and then turn them back. Sabrina had been practicing tirelessly at her magic, and was getting pretty good.

At the Nemesis table, Brigid was arguing angrily with Damien White. _Probably over whether softball is better than golf,_ Phoebe mused. Her eyes flicked towards the Hermes table as it erupted into an explosion of laughter. It was by far the rowdiest table in the mess hall, with Julia Feingold and Alice Miyazawa in the thick of it. She saw Connor Stoll sitting towards the end of the table, and thought back to some of the stories Percy had told her about him. Percy said that he and his brother had been the best pranksters in the camp, but as Phoebe watched him eat quietly, she found that hard to believe. She felt bad for him, not having his brother around was really affecting him. He seemed to be content in just watching the campers. She followed his gaze across the mess hall and back to...Brigid? A grin split across Phoebe's face; if anyone could get Connor back into the pranking business, it was Brigid.

Her fingers began to drum against the table to a rhythm only she could hear, and Phoebe inadvertently started writing a love song...one perfect for Connor and Brigid... _No, no, no,_ she chided herself. _Don't get too far ahead in planning their future relationship._

Her thoughts were interrupted by Chiron, who had stood up from his place at the head table. He cleared his throat, and the whole mess hall fell silent, even the Hermes table.

"Today, I have an important announcement," he began. "We will be holding another chariot race-"

The mess hall erupted into discord, the Ares and Nike kids yelling challenges while the

older campers raised their voices in protest.

"The last time we had a chariot race was when Tantalus replaced you!" Percy exclaimed.

"They were banned for a reason," Annabeth added. "There were far too many casualties to continue."

"Three deaths and twenty-six mutilations," Will Solace called out, his face troubled.

Phoebe hadn't been at the camp when Tantalus had taken over Chiron's job as activities director, but she had often heard the stories. Most of the other newer campers had as well, although Virginia and Sabrina looked a bit lost.

Chiron raised his hands for silence and the ruckus quieted, though campers were still whispering uneasily to each other.

"I appreciate your concern," Chiron acknowledged Percy, Annabeth, Will, and the other campers that had been protesting. "But, that's why I have decided to add a few more rules.

"All the previous rules will still be in effect, and failure to follow them or the new rules will result in immediate disqualification and a loss of dessert privileges for a week.

"First, although weapons and tricks are allowed, all weapons must be blunted during the race.

"Second, there will be a ream of Apollo and Hecate children on the sidelines, watching the games. Should anything _unfortunate_ happen during the race-" he looked meaningfully at the Ares and Nike tables, "Hecate children will teleport the camper to the med area where the Apollo team can heal them. Or even teleport the camper _before_ they can get hurt. That would be greatly preferred to the former scenario." He directed his last statement to the Hecate cabin.

"Participation in the race is optional, but if you do decided to participate, please fill out the sign up sheet located on the camp board in front of the Big House. Pinned above it is a list of the rules, I suggest you familiarize yourself with them. You have one week to pick your team and build your chariot. There are only two people allowed per team, a driver and a fighter. Good luck to everyone!" Chiron sat down and a loud buzz immediately filled the mess hall. Phoebe noticed Percy and Annabeth exchanging worried glances, and Will was already speaking avidly with Chiron. After a few seconds of going back and forth, Will seemed to concede to Chiron and made his way back to the Apollo table

"Alright guys," he said, "I'll be leading the team of healers during the chariot race, so if you want to join, come see me." He took a seat further down the table and Austin left to go sit near him.

"Are you going to compete in the race?" Kayla looked at Phoebe curiously.

"I don't know," she replied. "Probably."

"Would you like to do it with me? You can be my driver. I've heard you're pretty good with

horses."

"Oh." Phoebe wasn't eager to give a definite answer since she had been looking forward to teaming up with Brigid, but then a thought hit her.

"Sure," she said. "I'd love to."

"Awesome! Why don't we meet tomorrow and start planning?" Kayla grinned.

"Sounds good." Phoebe watched Kayla leave the table as Brigid came running up to her.

"Connor Stoll just asked me to be his partner," she said breathlessly. "I didn't know what to say, so I just said 'sure', but I barely know him, and now I have to compete in a chariot race with him, and I really wanted to be your partner instead." She finally stopped talking to take a breath and slumped down in front of Phoebe, who could barely hold in a grin. This was perfect.

"I think that's great!"

"You do?"

"Yeah," Phoebe replied excitedly, wondering how much she could say without giving her whole plan away. "Haven't you noticed how dejected Connor's been acting lately? Maybe this will perk him up a bit."

"But I wanted to be _your_ partner," Brigid complained.

"Yeah, but this will be fun too! Think of it as getting to know more people. Besides, think of how many tricks he has up his sleeve."

"Still…" Brigid rested her chin on her hands. "You do realize this means I'll be going up against you?"

Phoebe shrugged, "You guys can't be that hard to beat."

 _Brigid_

Brigid met Connor by the stables where he was busy grooming the horses he had picked out for their chariot. They were a light bay color and had long, muscular legs.

"What are their names?" Brigid asked, annoyed with herself for not being able to think of anything better to say. She prided herself on her extroversion.

"Butterscotch and Scimitar," he answered. "They're Thoroughbred horses, good for racing."

"I didn't know you knew so much about horses."

Connor shrugged, "I've been at camp for a while. You pick things up."

"Oh." Brigid patted Scimitar absentmindedly, trying to figure out how to keep their

conversation going.

"So…" she began slowly. "What's our game plan? Are you going to drive? Am I going to drive?"

"Well," Connor nodded to the softball bat in her hand, "I figured you could find some way to use that. I've also seen your driving skills and I, uh, think it would be better if I drove."

"Hey!" Brigid protested. "I'm a good driver."

Connor didn't say anything, he just continued grooming Butterscotch silently.

"Fine. I'm an _okay_ driver."

Connor stopped brushing Butterscotch and looked at her with an eyebrow raised, "Remind me how the Apollo chariot ended up in the strawberry fields."

"Alright, alright. I get it. I'm a bad driver." Brigid rolled her eyes as Connor laughed.

"Since I'm going to be the fighter, do you have any tricks up your sleeve that'll help us win the race?"

Connor fiddled with the brush, "I don't do those much anymore…"

"That's a lie, and we both know it." Brigid grabbed his arm and forced him to look her in the eye. "Come on! I heard you did some pretty legendary pranks a couple years back."

"That was when Travis was here…" Connor trailed off apologetically.

"You don't need Travis!" Brigid punched his arm. "You have me! And if we lose because you didn't help me with your tricks…" She looked at him sharply, her blue eyes flashing.

"Okay, okay!" Connor held up his hands in surrender, grinning. "I might have a little something."

"Good," Brigid crossed her arms defiantly. "Because I don't lose."


	4. We Don't Lose (Part Two)

_Phoebe_

Phoebe looked around at the teams beside her. On her left were Lacy and Mitchell from the Aphrodite cabin. Their chariot was painted lilac purple and had royal purple ribbons trailing from it. On her right were Clarisse La Rue and her boyfriend Chris Rodriguez. Their chariot was blood-red and had sharp silver spikes protruding from it. Phoebe guessed that was why Chiron had been called over. He was arguing heatedly with Clarisse, claiming they were breaking the "all weapons must be blunted" rule.

"I'm using the same chariot from years ago!" Clarisse yelled. " _Tantalus_ was fine with it!"

"Well, I am not Tantalus," Chiron glared sternly down at her. "You and Mr. Rodriguez are disqualified from the race."

"Thank the gods for that," Percy laughed. He and Annabeth were also using the same chariot from the last race, the only difference was that it had one normal-looking white horse and one black pegasus, whose wings kept getting caught in the reins.

" I swear, Percy, if we lose this race because you insisted on using Blackjack instead of a normal horse like everyone else, I am going to kill you." Annabeth didn't look like she was kidding.

But, Percy just grinned and kissed her. "Don't worry. Blackjack and I have got this." The pegasus snorted and reared his head in agreement. "See?" Percy kissed Annabeth again, but she just rolled her eyes.

"Get in the chariot, Seaweed Brain."

"Ready?" Kayla took her place in the Apollo chariot beside Phoebe, counting the arrows in her quiver. They had blunted tips, but would still serve their purpose in knocking the camper out of their chariot.

"Ready." Phoebe began humming a battle tune, and a shiver of anticipation went through their horses. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Virginia and Will taking their place in the sidelines, ready to intervene if they were needed. Will had set up an entire tent with multiple cots and a bunch of piled bandages. Do they really expect that many injuries? Phoebe momentarily regretted her decision to enter the race, but it was gone in an instant as Chiron appeared on the starting line.

"Charioteers! On your mark!" Kayla inhaled a deep breath beside Phoebe.

"Get set." Brigid stuck her tongue out at Phoebe.

"Go!" Chiron waved his hand and trotted out of the way as the chariots lurched forward. Almost immediately, there was a bone-jarring crunch as the Aphrodite chariot careened into the sidelines, their fancy ribbons tangled in their wheels.

One down. Phoebe looked behind her for a second and saw Sabrina and Callie gaining on them. Facing forward, she focused her sights on Brigid and Connor, and in front of them, Percy and Annabeth who were just about to round the corner. Beside her, Phoebe felt Kayla draw an arrow and a second later Blackjack reared his head as his wing got tangled in the reins from the force of the arrow knocking the chariot to the side. Percy tried desperately to right the chariot, but the more Blackjack thrashed, the more the chariot tilted, until Annabeth grabbed Percy's shirt and leaped out into the sidelines.

Two down, Phoebe counted. "Nice job!" she called to Kayla over the wind.

Thanks," Kayla dropped her bow and picked up a long pole in preparation to shove Brigid and Connor's chariot out of the race.

"I don't think so!" Brigid swing her bat in an arc, the force nearly knocking the pole out of Kayla's hands. Kayla continued to try to reach the chariot, but soon her arms began to grow heavy from the weight of the pole.

Suddenly, Phoebe felt the chariot begin to slow, and Callie and Sabrina whizzed past, grinning and waving.

Looking down, Phoebe saw thick vines growing out of the dirt track, wrapping themselves around the wheels of her chariot.

Cursing, Kayla began to attempt to saw through the vine, but the more she tried, the thicker it got and the tighter it wound around their wheels and axel, until it splintered completely in half.

Kayla looked at Phoebe apologetically, but she wasn't looking. She was busy watching Laurel and Holly's chariot as it careened towards them, showing no sign of turning, its driver and fighter too busy arguing over who was better at their job.

"Kayla…" Phoebe grabbed her wrist and was about to jump when she felt a tingling sensation in her stomach and then the feeling of having her feet kicked out from under her as she swirled into darkness.

Phoebe's feet hit the grass with a thump, still holding on to Kayla's wrist.

"Are you guys alright?" Virginia ran up to them, looking them over anxiously.

"So that's what it feels like to shadow-travel." Phoebe's head was spinning and she felt unsteady, as if she had just stepped off a boat.

"More or less," Virginia said. "Although, I think with shadow-traveling you actually walk to the place you want to go. With teleportation it's...different."

"Yeah," Kayla agreed, clutching her head.

Virginia smiled apologetically. "Since you two aren't hurt, you can go to the stands and

watch the rest of the race from there."

Kayla and Phoebe nodded and found a place close to Percy and Annabeth-but not too close, since they were the ones who put them out of the race.

Callie and Sabrina were now in the lead with Connor and Brigid a few chariot-lengths behind them. Kiara and Damien were fast approaching with Butch and Clovis and the Nike chariot neck-in-neck with each other.

Suddenly, Butch threw his significant weight to one side, turning the horses and bashing into Laurel and Holly's chariot. Nike's children were flung to the side, but disappeared before they could hit the ground.

Glancing over, Phoebe saw Virginia's brows creased in concentration as she teleported the sisters to the med tent.

Focusing back on the race, Phoebe watched as Kiara and Damien drew ever closer to Brigid and Connor's chariot. She saw Connor lean to the side and say something to Brigid and judging by her grin it wouldn't end well for Kiara and Damien.

Reaching down, Brigid grabbed a pouch that immediately began to spew green smoke as she lifted it. She threw it like one of her softballs, and it landed in the inside of their chariot-except it didn't. By some crazy stroke of luck, their chariot hit a bump in the dirt track and the pouch bounced into Butch and Clovis' chariot instead.

"Greek fire!" Clovis yelped, jumping out of the chariot without a second thought, leaving Butch inside as it exploded, wooden splinters flying everywhere.

Brigid and Connor high-fived, but their victory was short lived as Kiara and Damien passed them, putting them in third.

"Oh yes, you're a much better driver than I am!" Phoebe heard Brigid yell at Connor as they were passed.

"It's not my fault they passed us, you were supposed to get rid of them!" Connor turned to the side to glare at Brigid, and their chariot began to edge towards the sidelines.

"Dude!" Brigid yelped. "Eyes on the road!"

Callie glanced back at the sound of Brigid shouting, and in doing so caught sight of Kiara and Damien. She whispered something to Sabrina and then held up what looked like a rubber band in front of her. She tossed it into the air and it expanded, growing large enough to encircle the team, tying them together and making it impossible for them to keep control of the chariot.

Meanwhile, Brigid and Connor had been shrinking the gap between first and second place, and as the two chariot rounded the last corner of their second lap, Brigid lifted up a grappling hook and secured the side of Callie and Sabrina's chariot, pulling them back.

"See ya, losers!" Brigid yelled as she and Connor passed them, crossing the finish line. The stands erupted into cheers, and Phoebe was proud to say she cheered the loudest out of everyone. Especially when Connor leaned down to hug Brigid, his cheeks flushing bright red when the campers grew even louder.

"I told you!" Brigid yelled over the campers' voices when they finally pulled apart. "I don't lose!"

All Connor could do was laugh and hug her again.


	5. Lost and Found (Part One)

_Phoebe_

"I will put 'n' down to make 'in'," Brigid placed her tile down on the board.

"I'll use that to make 'inferiority'," Phoebe added on to Brigid's tile.

"I'll use your 'i' to make 'citadel'," Virginia said as Brigid pursed her lips.

"I'll use your 'd' to make 'doubt'," she sat back proudly.

"I will add on to that to make 'doubtfully'," Phoebe grinned and high-fived Virginia. Brigid's proud expression changed rapidly.

"I'll use your 't' to make 'strategic'."

"That's it!" Brigid pushed back her chair. "I am never, ever playing Scrabble with you two ever again."

"Oh, come on, Brigid," Virginia grabbed her arm and forced her to sit back down. "It's not that bad."

"You're just not used to our level of awesomeness," Phoebe grinned innocently. "That's what happens when you have to share a cabin with Damien White."

The three friends were currently holed up in the Nemesis Cabin, waiting out the storm that was raging on outside.

"I thought the weather in Camp Half-Blood was controlled," Phoebe complained. "This is _horrible."_

"Someone must have tampered with it," Virginia said, idly stacking her tiles.

"Whoever they are, they'd better watch out. I bet this storm is tampering with Chiron's Netflix." Phoebe glanced outside as a crash of thunder rocked the cabin.

"Chiron has Netflix?" Brigid had been unusually still throughout the conversation, watching the door.

"Oh, yeah. Don't tell him I told you though, it's his guilty pleasure. He'd kill me if he found out I'd told you."

"Mmmmm." Brigid went back to watching the door, and Virginia nudged her.

"You're watching for someone, who is it?"

Brigid's face split into a grin, "You'll see."

A knock sounded at the door and a very waterlogged Connor Stoll came dripping into the cabin.

"See?" Brigid glanced back at Virginia.

"Yes, I do." Virginia looked despairingly at the now-soaked carpet under Connor's feet.

"Don't take another step," she directed him, and a blast of heat issued from her hands, drying both him and the carpet instantly.

"Thanks," Connor said gratefully.

"Well," he turned to Brigid, "your plan worked. I'll be honest, I didn't think it would."

Brigid snorted derisively, "When will you learn not to underestimate me?"

"You mean this was _your_ doing?" Phoebe looked so betrayed, it was almost comical.

"Technically, Connor carried out the plan, so it was _his_ doing. But yes, it was my idea to change the weather," Brigid said brightly, and she and Connor high-fived.

Suddenly, Nico appeared in the shadow of her chair. Phoebe shrieked in surprise, nearly upturning the Scrabble board.

"Have any of you seen Mrs. O'Leary?" his dark eyes scanned the room tiredly before returning to them.

"No. Why?" Brigid watched him worriedly.

"She got scared by a clap of thunder and shadow-traveled somewhere. I was hoping she hadn't gone far, but I've checked the rest of the camp and she's not here. Percy told me to take care of her, but now I've lost her!" Nico sounded uncharacteristically upset.

"Wait, hold up," Virginia held up her hands to stop Nico's story. "Who's Mrs. O'Leary?"

"Percy's hellhound," Brigid waved Virginia's question aside. "Where-"

"Percy has a _hellhound?"_ Virginia interrupted her. "Am I the only one worried about that?"

"Yes," Brigid said impatiently. "She's trained. Mostly."

"That's comforting," Virginia retorted.

Brigid just sighed and continued her attempted question. "Do you know where Mrs. O'Leary probably went?"

"That's the problem," Nico said. "She could have gone into the Big House to hide in Mr. D's bed, or she could have gone all the way to Rome. I doubt she'd go that far, but I don't know."

"Well, we have to find her," Phoebe said. "She's probably scared and alone somewhere…"

"Hang on," Connor interrupted. "Didn't Percy have a whistle or something that he used to call Mrs. O'Leary to him?"

"Yes, but it doesn't work for me. See?" Nico pulled out a Stygian Ice whistle and blew it, but nothing happened. The room was still absent of a large slobbering hellhound.

"So...what? We're going to comb the edges of the world for a hellhound?" Virginia crossed her arms.

"Yes," Brigid said defiantly.

"No," Nico said. "We're just going to search campgrounds for her. That's about all we can do."

"Does that include the forest?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes, unfortunately." He turned to Connor, "Chiron said you have to come with me. I think he figured out it was you who caused this whole fiasco."

Connor grinned sheepishly, "Yeah, I'll definitely help."

"Good." Nico looked at the three girls sitting around the Scrabble board.

"You don't even need to ask," Phoebe said. "We're in."

"Okay-" Nico broke off as the cabin door opened and a drenched Annabeth poked her head in.

"Chiron's working on fixing the weather," she said, glaring at Connor. "Once he's done, he said he'll send two groups to the forest to search for Mrs. O'Leary. I can go if you want me to."

"That'd be nice, Annabeth, thanks. Connor's also coming along with Brigid, Phoebe, and Virginia."

"Looks like we've got our two groups then," Annabeth said. "I'll go tell Chiron. You guys wait for me at the edge of the woods."

….

Phoebe stood staring at the woods, fidgeting with an arrow she had absentmindedly pulled out of her quiver.

"Stop doing that." Brigid snatched the arrow out of Phoebe's hand and stuck it back into the quiver. "You're making me nervous."

"You? The great Brigid Lawless? Nervous?" Virginia grinned, but didn't take her eyes off the woods. Sparks kept flying from her fingertips, an unfortunate habit she had, especially when she was around anything flammable. Like trees.

Nico glared at her, "You're going to set something on fire."

"I have it completely under control," Virginia retorted, as one of her sparks hit a patch of dry grass and flamed. She hastily said a few words and the fire dissolved. "100% under control," she muttered under her breath.

Nico just snorted and went to meet Annabeth as she came down the hill.

"Is everyone ready?" she asked, a flashlight in one hand and her bronze knife in the other.

"Yeah. What do you need that for?" Brigid pointed to the flashlight. "It's barely noon."

"It's darker in the woods." Annabeth tossed Nico the flashlight in her hand and pulled the other one out of her pack.

"Right," she said. "We're going to split into groups of three. I will lead one and Nico will lead the other. Virginia, Phoebe, you're with me. Connor and Brigid will go with Nico."

Phoebe winked at Brigid, eager for any chance to tease her about Connor. Nico groaned. "How come I get stuck with the couple?"

Connor turned pink. "We're not-"

"That's enough," Annabeth glanced at Nico. "We'll meet back here in an hour. Good luck. Try not to die." She gestured to Phoebe and Virginia, and they stepped into the woods.

Almost immediately, Phoebe felt a change in the atmosphere. The trees were much larger and closer together than she had thought they would be, and they seemed to crowd over her as she walked beneath them.

"Are you freaked out about this too?" she leaned down and whispered to Virginia.

"Absolutely."

Annabeth glanced back at them. "This is your first time, isn't it?"

"Well," Phoebe said as Virginia nodded, "I've been in here for capture the flag. If that even counts."

"It does count, to an extent. Generally, we don't go past Zeus' Fist for capture the flag, and there are more campers present. It's also a lot more dangerous in here now, since Gaia was just defeated.

"Shouldn't that make it less dangerous?"

Virginia asked.

"For the most part, it does. Most of the monsters that had come in here to fight for Gaia have left. Unfortunately, some creatures that had already been living here were turned to her side, and they're still here. That's what make the woods more dangerous. They're a bit bitter about her defeat."

"Oh. Great," Phoebe muttered. "We're going to be attacked by evil dryads."

….

 _Brigid_

"So, umm...how was everyone's summer?" Brigid tried desperately to break the awkward silence.

"Wonderful," Nico replied in his trademark tone that made Brigid unsure of whether he was being sarcastic or not.

"That's...good. Connor, how was yours?"

"Great," came his muffled reply from behind a bush. He was searching for tracks, being the best tracker out of the three of them.

"Okay." Clearly no one was going to elaborate on their summer, and Brigid didn't feel like being the only one talking. She glanced around, trying to find something useful to do, and found a tiny path heading off to the left.

"Hey, guys?" she called. "There's a path over here."

Connor immediately stood up and scrutinized the trail she had found. He glanced up at Nico.

"Do you want to follow it?"

Nico shrugged, "It's better than wandering aimlessly through the trees." He took the lead and began pushing past the undergrowth the clutched at his dark jeans.

"Do you ever wear anything other than black?" Brigid asked suddenly.

Nico looked back at her with an eyebrow raised. "Do you ever take out that bandana?" He nodded to the red cloth that Brigid always wore over her two braids. She pursed her lips and he shrugged. "Same concept."

"Guys, I found something," Connor pointed to large paw prints set in the mud that had been made by the rain from that morning.

"At least one good thing came out of that storm," Nico shot him a dirty look and pushed past him. Connor just raised an eyebrow at Nico's back.

"Someone's in a bad mood," Brigid muttered, but followed him anyway.

The paw prints were easy to track, and they went on for a while, leading the group further into the woods.

"Stop," Nico said, crouching down to scrutinize the prints. "Do you know where the prints went?" he directed the question to Connor.

Connor examined the mud around the last paw print and looked closely at the bushes around it, searching for any proof that Mrs. O'Leary had been there. He shook his head, "Nothing."

"She must have shadow-traveled again." Brigid flipped her knife in frustration. She decided not to bring her standard softball bat since she would have had to carry it as she traipsed through the woods and it would have become very heavy. "So, where do we go now?"

Nico glanced at his watch, "Now, we head back. Our hour is nearly up." He turned around to lead the way back, but stopped short.

"What?" Brigid exclaimed. "Don't tell me you don't know the way back."

"I do," he answered. "Or, at least, I thought I did." He pointed to a large pine tree in front of him. "That wasn't there when we first walked in."

"Maybe you just didn't notice it," Brigid said hopefully. But Nico shook his head.

"There were dryads that lived in this forest that sided with Gaia a few months ago. I have bad feeling this is one of them." He grabbed Brigid's wrist and looked around for Connor. He cursed.

"Where is that stupid Hermes kid when you need him? I'm going to shadow-travel us out of here."

 _Crack._

"Nico," Brigid warned. A fissure was beginning to spread on one of the pine tree's upper branches.

Nico's words became more colorful and descriptive as he pulled Brigid out of the branch's path right as it fell.

"Yup," he glared at the tree. "Definitely bitter about Gaia. We need to get out of here now." His grip on Brigid's wrist strengthened.

"Wait," she twisted her arm out of his grip, "We can't leave Connor."

"Look, we won't be able to do much for him if we're dead, okay? Let's head back to the meeting point and get Annabeth's group. Then, we'll go after him. I promise."

"I won't leave him!" Brigid said, horrified at the very thought.

Nico rolled his eyes, "Look, now is not the time for heroics. The dryads will capture you just like they probably captured Connor!"

"Then they'll capture me," she crossed her arms stubbornly, stepping out of Nico's reach. "They'll probably take me to wherever they've taken Connor. You need to go get Annabeth and everyone else." Vines began creeping up Brigid's ankles and her fiercely determined eyes met his, the fire masking her fear.

"Go!" she said, sawing through the vines with her knife.

Nico nodded. Oh gods, he _hated_ her and her stupid heroism. He also admired it. The last thing he saw was Brigid facing the pine tree as a figure began to slide out of it. _Hades,_ he prayed, _keep her safe._


	6. Lost and Found (Part Two)

_Virginia_

"Thank goodness this is over," Phoebe said as they made their way back to the meeting place. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Mrs. O'Leary and I desperately want her to be found, but this was _torture_. I am never, ever going back in that dang forest _ever_ again."

They were about to sit down in the shade of a tree when Nico fell out of its shadow.

"Dude!" Phoebe practically screamed. "You gotta stop doing that!"

"Have to...get back to...the woods," Nico breathed heavily.

"Oh no," Phoebe said. "There is nothing in this world or the next that could get me back in that forest-"

"Brigid...and Connor...were taken by the dryads."

"Well, crap," Phoebe glanced at Annabeth and Virginia.

"I guess we're going back in." Virginia secretly agreed with Phoebe, but they couldn't just leave them. She helped Nico up, noting how pale his skin had become. It was nearly transparent.

"We need to shadow-travel back," he said, leaning on Virginia's shoulder.

"Um, how about 'no'." Phoebe took one look at his pallor and shook her head. "Absolutely not."

Nico glared at her. "Do you want to spend thirty minutes trying to find the way back to Connor and Brigid? Because I don't. By the time we get to them, who knows what the dryads will have done."

"I agree with Phoebe," Annabeth stated, "it's far too dangerous for you. But," she added meaningfully, cutting off Nico's protests, "I don't think we have another choice."

"Of course we do!" Phoebe said angrily, and it was the first time Virginia truly saw fury flash brightly in her blue gaze. "There is _always_ a choice!"

"But that choice is never easy," Virginia put her hand on Phoebe's arm to calm her down. "It's up to Nico, and if he thinks shadow-traveling is the best way to save Brigid and Connor, then that's what we need to do." Virginia hated having to put Nico's health on the line in order to save her friend, but he and Annabeth were right. Brigid and Connor could be dead by the time they found them if they walked instead of shadow-traveling.

"Well," Phoebe retorted, "what if Virginia teleported us there? That way we'd make it in time, but Nico doesn't have to shadow-travel."

But Virginia shook her head, "I don't know where Brigid and Connor are. I can't teleport us somewhere if I don't know where I'm going."

Phoebe was silent, and Virginia could see her mind racing, trying to figure out another way. Another choice. She sighed, "Okay. Fine. Let's do it."

Nico nodded and pushed himself off Virginia, though still kept a firm grip on her shoulder. Annabeth came over and took his free hand, gesturing for Phoebe to join them, and after a moment's hesitation she did.

"Okay," Nico said, taking a breath. "Don't let go." They melted into the shadows.

….

 _Phoebe_

Phoebe stepped out of the shadows, every nerve tingling and hyped up. _I have got to do that again_ , she admitted to herself. _Preferably when Nico isn't about to fade._

 _Oh my gosh_ , she realized, her mind jolting back to reality. _Nico's about to fade_. She had been so focused on her shadow-travel experience that she had completely forgotten about Nico.

She found him leaning against a tree, his skin definitely about to fade into transparency. _At least he's still in a corporeal state_ , she thought grimly. _Barely._

Phoebe reached into the backpack she had brought with her, rummaging through and pulling out two bottles of Gatorade, instructing Nico to down them. He did so gratefully.

Virginia was staring, fascinated, at her pack. "How did you manage to fit those two bottles in there? You might be able to fit them in if it's just the Gatorade, but you're obviously carrying a lot more in there."

"Oh, this? Callie enchanted it for me to fit whatever I need. I'm pretty sure I can fit an unlimited number of objects in here. It's very helpful."

"I'll have to ask her to show me."

Phoebe laughed, "Good luck. She doesn't usually share her secrets."

"Guys, we have a problem," Nico pushed himself shakily off the tree, swaying slightly on his feet. Annabeth rushed over to steady him, and even though he clearly didn't enjoy having to be helped, he nodded his thanks.

"This is where Brigid was the last time I saw her," he continued. "She obviously isn't here anymore." He pointed to a knife lying in the mud, "That was hers. She must have been taken by the dryads."

"Yeah, but she was smart." Virginia walked over to a bush and pulled a red bandana off one of the branches. "She left us a trail."

"Let's follow it, then." Nico attempted to pursue the trail Virginia had pointed out, but Phoebe stopped him.

"Oh, no you don't," Phoebe grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He glared at her and she saw anguish beneath the anger in his deep gaze. Her grip slackened slightly. "You're too weak. You'll never make it to wherever the evil dryads have taken her."

"She willingly gave herself up while I left to find you," he growled. "I am going to save her."

Phoebe let him go, every ounce of her being telling her to force him to stay behind. But she couldn't.

"Fine. But when you collapse of exhaustion and can't fight in the big battle that i'm sure we're walking into, don't come running to me."

Nico flashed her a tired grin, "I won't."

"Guys, come on," Virginia's voice rang through the trees, "we're wasting time."

"Coming." Phoebe looped her arm around Nico's, supporting him as they traipsed through the undergrowth, following the trail Brigid had left them.

….

 _Brigid_

Her hands were bound with rope in front of her, and the dryad was holding the end like a leash as she led Brigid through the forest.

Brigid had already left her bandana behind in hopes that Nico and the others would find it. Now, she had to find something else to drop. Catching sight of a rose bush, she edged her way towards it, holding out her shirt to let the thorns tear a piece off. It hung on the branch, bright orange against the green of the woods.

Now that the first tear had been made, it was easy to rip off more from the bottom of her shirt and leave them on low-hanging branches and bushes. _Please find them, Nico,_ she prayed. _I can't save both Connor and myself on my own._

Her defeat by the dryad stung more than she would ever tell. Even the pain from the gashes inflicted on her face and arms were nothing compared to the blow she had taken to her pride. Wounds she could deal with. Defeat? That hurt.

It hadn't taken long for the nature spirit to gain the upper hand, either. No matter how much training Brigid had gotten from Camp Half-Blood, she sadly lacked the experience that made a true warrior.

The nature spirit was tall, taller than any dryad Brigid had seen. She was thin and wiry, but moved with less grace than Brigid had thought, although that didn't seem to hinder her much. She was still fast and strong, and had dealt more than a couple good blows to Brigid in the time she had taken to strike one. Still, Brigid took pride in the green blood flowing profusely from the long wound she had inflicted on the dryad's arm.

Brigid winced as a stray branch scraped against a gash on her arm, breaking through the scab that had begun to form. Thankfully, it wasn't bleeding much, and the wound wasn't deep. Still, she would have to get it treated once she got back to camp. _If you get back to camp_ , a little voice in the back of her mind whispered. _They will find me,_ Brigid tamped down the voice firmly. She couldn't lose hope.

By the time the dryad stopped walking, Brigid had torn off more of her shirt than she was comfortable with, and had numerous small cuts and scrapes on her arms and legs from stray branches and undergrowth, in addition to the wounds from the dryad.

The dryad shoved Brigid up against a tree and its branches grew around her torso, holding her in place. The dryad stared silently at her; throughout their trek and even during their brief fight, she had never said a word. Finally, the dryad opened her mouth.

"You are a daughter of Nemesis." It was not a question, but a statement. "I can see it in your eyes." The dryad's voice was wise and sad, but had a hard undertone.

Brigid sat as straight as she could and kept her mouth shut stubbornly.

"I was once like you," the dryad continued, "until Pan came," she finished bitterly. "He pursued me, chased me. And do you know what the gods did? They turned me into a tree." Her eyes burned like Greek Fire. "The gods are selfish, they don't care about you. So, why fight for them? You will get nothing in return."

"Who even are you?" Brigid interrupted.

"I am Pitys, a nymph from the mountains. I guided Artemis on her way while she hunted, and what did she do when I was turned into a tree? Nothing. I will never serve the gods again. I will be free of their chains, destroying everything that stands against me." She pointed menacingly at Brigid's chest, and Brigid realized how her tone had changed in the brief time she had been speaking, "Starting with you."

Pitys strode forward until she and Brigid were face to face, "I want to be the last thing you see," she hissed, her spidery fingers clamping around Brigid's neck. "Where are your gods now?"

Brigid kept her blue eyes locked on Pitys' green ones, trying in vain to stop the tears from gathering. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. How does one get out of a choke hold? _They don't_ , said the voice in the back of her head. _Oh gosh_ , Brigid realized, _I'm going to die. I'll never see my friends again, I'll never see stupid Damien White again, I'll never get to talk to Connor._

Connor. She had failed him. She was supposed to find him, save him. Now he'd be killed. If he hadn't been already. The little voice was larger now, and no longer in the back of her mind.

 _No. No, no, no. I can get out of this._ Brigid struggled, clawing at the fingers grasping her throat, but her vision was fading, and she was becoming weaker…and weaker…

A yell sounded from behind Pitys, followed by a shriek of pain, and the pressure on Brigid's throat slackened. She hit the wet ground, gasping and coughing, her chest heaving like it couldn't get enough air.

 _Crunch._

A body was thrown into a tree and fell to the ground, stirring feebly. Brigid's vision was slowly returning, but her muscles still felt weak and she couldn't push herself up.

"Silly demigod!" she heard Pitys laugh, "it's going to take more than that to kill me." Brigid watched her reach behind her and yank out a bronze sword, tossing it to the side. Although she was still smirking, Brigid saw blood gushing from her from her stomach, and Pitys was hunching over the wound slightly.

Finally able to move, Brigid glanced over at her savior, her heart skipping a beat as she recognized him.

"Connor," she whispered, her throat dry and painful. She grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face her. He groaned, but was still conscious and his brown eyes focused on her, which Brigid took as a good sign. "You're alive."

He grinned, but it was more of a grimace, "Of course I am." He glanced up at Pitys, "Though probably not for long."

He stood, his eyes straying towards his sword hat was lying a few feet away from him. Pitys followed his gaze and stepped between him and his weapon, green eyes glinting darkly. "I wouldn't." She glanced at the tree that had been holding Brigid, and Brigid realized its branches had released her.

"Two against one just isn't a fair fight," Pitys said, and an army of dryads appeared at the treeline behind her. "I like these odds much better."

Brigid grasped Connor's hand and used him to pull herself up, standing shakily beside him.

Pitys and her army advanced.

Brigid held her breath.

They were outnumbered and had no weapons, she could see no way out. She realized vaguely that she was still holding Connor's hand and let go, but he seized it again and entwined his fingers with hers. His grip was comforting, and Brigid would have enjoyed his warmth if they hadn't been able to die.

 _Snap._

Brigid's heart sank. More of them were coming. The dryads kept advancing, slowly and dramatically. They had all the time in the world.

 _Crash._

Brigid's breath caught in her throat. Dryads didn't make that much noise. A spark of hope grew in her chest, but she tamped it down, not daring to tempt the Fates.

 _Thump._ The dryads froze, glancing at one another warily. The spark turned into a blazing fire, too hot to be put out, Three Fates or not. Connor could feel it too, his hand was practically vibrating in Brigid's grip, he was so pumped with anticipation.

 _Crash. Shriek_. The dryads' lines broke as a dark blurr cut through them, teeth snapping at limbs and driving the dryads away.

"No! Stop!" Pitys screamed, stumbling around, trying to stop the dryads from melting back into the trees. "Revenge against the gods! Fight for our freedom!" She was somewhat successful, and the lines reformed, though they were significantly smaller than before.

"Mrs. O'Leary!" Brigid shouted joyfully as the dark blurr bowled her over and licked her happily.

"Brigid," Connor warned, "unless you had forgotten, we're still about to be destroyed by an army of angry dryads."

"Yeah," Brigid acknowledged, "but we have Mrs. O'Leary." She ruffled the hellhound's fur affectionately.

"Right, well-"

 _Snap_. The dryads froze again, eyes wide and fearful. Mrs. O'Leary barked once and sped off through the trees.

"That's not good," Brigid murmured.

The dryads looked at each other and then back at Pitys. "Charge!" she screamed, aiming her finger at the two demigods. She ran forward, hand outstretched and trained for Brigid's throat.

She never made it.

A Stygian blade sprouted from her stomach, and she stumbled, falling to the ground. "No blade can kill me," she hissed, grinning wickedly. "Gaia has blessed me with healing while away from my tree."

"I know," Nico said calmly. "That's why I burned your tree."

Pitys' eyes grew wide, and she rushed to her tree, in hopes of putting out the fire before it consumed it. She didn't return.

A bark drew Brigid's attention away from Nico, and she watched as Mrs. O'Leary accompanied Annabeth and Virginia as they leaped out of the trees, slashing at the wood nymphs with their blades. Nico tried to join them, but Phoebe grabbed him before he could and forced him to join Connor and Brigid by the tree.

"Okay," she said, handing him a bottle of Gatorade. "Who's hurt the worst?"

"Brigid," Connor volunteered her, sitting down to wait his turn. Phoebe eyed him suspiciously, but treated Brigid first anyway.

Once her arm and head were bandaged, and ambrosia and nectar given out, Phoebe examined Connor. He seemed to be fine, with the exception of the scrapes that came with traipsing through the woods, but as Phoebe was checking his cuts, Brigid noticed her pause and watch Connor carefully. Tentatively, she touched his side, and Connor inhaled sharply.

"Okay," she said, rummaging through her pack, "you have a bruised rib. I'm, like, 96% sure it's not fractured, but you'll need to ice it and not do anything dangerous for a week."

"A week?"

"Yes, a week," Phoebe nodded impatiently. "Be grateful it's not three, that's how long it takes a mortal to heal a bruised rib. Dangit," she cursed, looking up from her bag, "I forgot to put ice in here. You'll have to wait until we get back to camp for that." She pointed at Connor, "Speaking of camp, I want you in the medical area for two days so I can keep an eye on you and make sure you don't do anything crazy."

"Phoebe…" Connor complained.

"No. If you want to get better, you have to listen to me. I promise, I am worth listening to. Most of the time."

Brigid stifled a laugh at that, "Thanks, Phoebe."

Phoebe sniffed, "You're welcome. I think I deserve thanks after everything I do for you kids." She grinned and gestured to Nico, "Come on, goth boy, let's leave these two lovers alone." She winked at Brigid and dragged him away to check over Annabeth and Virginia.

Brigid looked over at Connor, but he just shook his head tiredly.

"Yeah, me too," she whispered.


	7. Lost and Found (Part Three)

Lost and Found (Part Three)

The six demigods walked back to the camp, accompanied by Mrs. O'Leary. Will and Chiron met them at the top of the hill, Will stopping to say a few words to Phoebe before collecting Nico to take him to the Apollo cabin, berating him for shadow-traveling so much along the way.

"Well," Chiron said, looking them up and down appraisingly. "Seems like you had quite the adventure. I'm sure it'll make a wonderful story for the campfire tonight." He glanced at Annabeth, "I take it the dryads gave you trouble?"

She nodded, "Pitys is back rallying an army to get revenge against the gods. Or, _was_ back. Nico killed her, but most of her army is still alive."

"Hmmm," Chiron looked thoughtful. "Come with me to the Big House, we can discuss more there."

Annabeth nodded, looking back at the four demigods left. "Good job, guys. You did really well." She patted Mrs. O'Leary and followed the centaur to the Big House.

"Right," Phoebe clapped her hands. "Connor, I want you in the med area. _Now,"_ she added pointedly.

Connor heaved a sigh, but ended up wincing at the effort, "Fine." Brigid watched him go, trying to sort through her feelings. She gave up with a sigh, too tired to deal with something as difficult and complex as feelings. She headed slowly towards Cabin 16, vaguely noting the "Lost dog" sign on her door that featured a picture of Mrs. O'Leary. Brigid plopped down on her bed and attempted to fall asleep, but whenever she began to drift off burning green eyes filled her mind's eye, keeping her up. She finally drifted off around midnight, but even then she woke up frequently, often gasping for breath and clutching at her throat.

Brigid woke up around mid-morning, shaking off the nightmare she had just woken from. Damien was already gone, and she had missed breakfast in the mess hall, and her stomach growled at her in frustration. Sighing resignedly, she got dressed and left the cabin, hoping the cleaning harpies hadn't gotten rid of the leftovers yet. She didn't get far, though, as Virginia was waiting for her right outside.

"Hey, how are you?"

"Tired," Brigid suppressed both a yawn and her nightmares.

"Yeah, me too." Virginia did indeed look tired, but she had a gleam in her eye that made Brigid suspicious. Virginia confirmed her suspicions with her next question.

"So…did anything happen with Connor that I might want to know about?" She grinned.

"Um, no?" Brigid blushed. It was too early in the morning for this. "I mean, we held hands…"

Virginia's eyebrows shot up, "I'd say that counts. How did it happen?"

"Well…I grabbed his hand to pull myself off the ground and just sort of…never let go. I mean, I tried, but he grabbed it again."

Virginia smiled at her knowingly, "Have you spoken to him since?"

"I doubt Phoebe would let me anywhere near him. She says I'm a magnet for danger and he's supposed to be danger-free for a week."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. I bet Phoebe will actually be very grateful for your company." Virginia nudged her in the direction of the Apollo cabin, "Why don't you go see him?"

"Oh, okay," Brigid said as she was steered towards Cabin 7, too drained to put up a fight.

Brigid found Connor sitting up in bed, playing absentmindedly with the edge of his orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. She took the seat next to him and he grinned at her.

"You look tired."

"I am, but I'm okay." Her stomach growled. "A bit hungry, though," she added.

He laughed, "There's an apple leftover from the breakfast Phoebe gave me, if you want it."

"Thanks," Brigid took it gratefully. "So," she said between bites, "is Phoebe really going to keep you in here for two days?"

Connor sighed, "Seems like it." The door opened and he wrinkled his nose, "Here she comes now, if you want to ask her yourself."

Phoebe walked into the room, stopping abruptly as she caught sight of Brigid, "Virginia sent you, didn't she?"

"Yes?" Brigid's brows knitted together in confusion.

"Dang it. I owe her five drachmas, now. I didn't think she'd actually be able to get you to come."

"What?"

Phoebe just grinned, much like Virginia had. "Nothing," she picked up Connor's now-empty plate. "And yes, I am actually going to keep him here for two whole days."

"Of course you are," Brigid replied absently. Phoebe and Virginia were obviously planning something, and she had a feeling she knew what it was.

Phoebe tactfully left the room, leaving Brigid and Connor alone again.

Connor rested his chin on his palm, eyeing Brigid carefully. His attention made her slightly self-conscious, and she looked away from his gaze.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Brigid could hear the concern in his voice.

 _Not really._ Her mind flashed back to her nightmares. "Yeah." She finally met his gaze and could tell he didn't believe her. She swallowed, attempting to force her hands to stop shaking. Why was it so hard to breathe?

" _Brigid."_ She felt a warm hand on her arm, but didn't look up. She needed to leave, it was too cramped in that room, but she couldn't escape. She closed her eyes, tried to steady her breathing, did everything Annabeth told her to do, but still couldn't keep the eyes away. They burned with rage, so hot she could feel it searing her skin. She wanted to run, to hide, but she was paralyzed in her seat.

 _I want you to be the last thing you see._ Brigid choked back a sob as Pitys' hand enclosed on her throat, crushing her airways.

 _Make it stop,_ she begged. _Stop. Please._

 _"_ _Brigid."_

Her eyes snapped open. Connor was gripping her arms, looking into her eyes. She could see the dark blue ring around his otherwise bright blue eyes. They gleamed anxiously.

"Hey," he said softly, sliding his hands into her and holding encompassing them tightly. "It's okay."

Brigid shut her eyes again, this time in an effort to stall her tears. She sniffled, _gods_ she hated crying.

"You want to talk about it?"

She shook her head and Connor pulled her up onto the bed beside him. His left arm went around her shoulders, enveloping her in the comfort and safety that radiated off him. Somehow, that made it harder for Brigid to hold back her tears, and they escaped full force. Connor just let her cry, holding her to him, unmoving except for his uneven breathing.

Brigid didn't know how long she and Connor were together, but even after her body ran out of tears, she continued to lean into him, lulled by the rise and fall of his chest beneath her.

He spoke first.

"Better?"

"Not really, no." Her voice sounded so small, so different. She hated it.

Connor gently pushed Brigid off his chest so he could look her in the eyes again. This time she met his gaze, her cheeks flushing as she realized how close they had been. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

She nodded, "I'm sure. I just…need some time to figure things out."

Connor didn't look satisfied, but he didn't press her any further.

"So…" Brigid wiped away the remaining tears from her cheeks and took a deep breath. "How are you doing on this fine morning?" She laughed in an effort to ease the tension, but it ran hollowly in her ears.

Connor glanced down, "Well, my ribs were still bruised last I checked." The side of his mouth quirked into a half-grin, "Unfortunately, ambrosia and nectar don't work _that_ fast."

That made Brigid laugh—a true laugh, not a hollow one—though she was still acutely aware of how close they were. She couldn't believe she had just had a _panic attack,_ and in front of Connor, no less.

He seemed to read her mind, and clasped her hand in his. Brigid surveyed his long, nimble fingers enclosing her small hand. They were perfect for picking locks, or sleight of hand, and were tanned and calloused from the many years Connor had spent at Camp Half-Blood.

"Do you ever think about it?" Brigid asked suddenly, her gaze still trained on Connor's hand. "All the battles you've survived, I mean."

Connor looked unusually thoughtful as he answered Brigid's question, "Occasionally. Why?"

 _"_ I was just curious," Brigid said quickly. She was silent for a few moments before asking her second question, "Did you ever…come close to dying?"

Connor glanced at her curiously, already realizing what Brigid was getting at. "A few times. It was scary, and it kept me up at night for a while afterwards, but overtime the fear faded."

Brigid sighed, "It feels like it'll never go away."

He shot her his trademark crooked grin. "You will. Besides," he nudged her playfully, "you have me. And Phoebe, and Virginia, and Callie, and Sabrina. We've got your back."

Brigid smiled, "I guess you're right…"

His blue eyes gleamed, "Of course I'm right. I'm always right."

She shook her head, "Not always." She leaned forward and hugged him tightly, "Thank you."


End file.
